


The Hypnotist

by flibbertygigget



Category: That Guy with the Glasses/Channel Awesome
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst and Fluff, Backstory, Child Abuse, Eventual Happy Ending, First Kiss, Inspired by Fanfiction, Kidnapping, M/M, evil government
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-07
Updated: 2015-10-07
Packaged: 2018-04-25 02:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4942573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flibbertygigget/pseuds/flibbertygigget
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The stereotypical underground hallways and sunglasses-wearing government agents didn't frighten Phelous. No, he was more frightened by the child who sat, tied to a chair, and looked at him with hypnotizing blue eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Hypnotist

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The NC-Men](https://archiveofourown.org/works/442902) by [Ocelot_l](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ocelot_l/pseuds/Ocelot_l). 



> This universe belongs to Ocelot_I, and the characters all belong to their respective creators. The overdose of angst belongs to me, because apparently I can't see a funny, awesome fic and not create a depressing backstory.
> 
> I've also probably terribly botched the homeless shelter system in America. Please forgive me.

"Mommy, can I have a cookie?"

"No, Snob, you'll ruin your dinner."

"But I want a cookie!"

"Alright."

* * *

 

The stereotypical underground hallways and sunglasses-wearing government agents didn't frighten Phelous. In fact, they were pretty boring. There was very little they could do to him that he hadn't lived through before. Now Phelous' only concern was how long it would take him to escape.

The white-coated scientist that led their little group paused at the door. He looked back, and Phelous thought he almost looked apologetic.

"Anything to confess?" the scientist said. Phelous shook his head, and the scientist opened the door to reveal a dim room. In the center of the room, tied to a chair, was a blindfolded boy.

The kid couldn't have been older than thirteen or fourteen. He looked up as the door opened, tensing as though from remembered pain. Phelous felt his somach clench as the scientists pressed small suction cups to the kid's head. He hadn't been prepared for this.

The blindfold was taken off, and the kid squinted in the sparse light. Then liquid blue eyes met brown, and Phelous understood.

* * *

 

"Can I play with you?"

"You'll just ruin it."

"No I won't."

"You still can't play."

"Yes I can!"

"Fine, you big baby."

* * *

 

Even after the blindfold was put back on, the kid wouldn't look at Phelous. He just sat there, trembling as though waiting for punishment.

"What's your name?" Phelous said. The kid tensed.

"C- Cinema Snob," he said. Phelous nodded.

"I'm Phelous," he said. "Mind telling me what happened while I was out?" The kid shrunk back into the chair.

"I'm sorry!" he said. "I- I didn't want to hypnotize you, I swear, I just-"

"Don't worry, I get it," Phelous said. "I just have to know if I said anything important." Cinema Snob shook his head.

"They just want to know how your abilities work and if you know any others. You didn't give them much of either."

"That's good, I suppose," said Phelous. He sat, leaning his back against the concrete wall. "Well, now the only thing to worry about is how we're getting out of here." Snob actually looked up at this, mouth slightly agape. 

"What do you mean?" he said. "You can't- It's never been done before. They'll kill you!" Phelous shrugged.

"You know my abilities," he said. "I've died before. A couple of scientists aren't going to be too difficult."

"Even if you do escape, where'll you go?"

"I'll figure something out. We'll probably end up drifting for a while, but homeless shelters are usually decent places to spend a night, and they don't ask too many questions, so they won't know that we're running from-"

"We?" Snob's voice sounded as though he was trying not to hope too much. "You're taking me with you?"

"Of course," Phelous said, confused. "Why wouldn't I?"

* * *

 

"Dad, why're you going?"

"I'm just going, that's all. Your mom and I have to work some things out."

"But I want you to stay!"

"..."

"You have to stay."

"Okay, buddy, but I don't know how long we can keep doing this."

* * *

 

It was only a few hours before an opportunity to escape presented itself. An agent entered the room, carrying a plate of food. As soon as the door closed behind him, Phelous punched the agent, breaking his nose. A swift kick in his head knocked him out. Phelous took off Snob's blindfold and untied him from the seat, but Snob didn't get up.

"Come on," Phelous said. Snob hesitated.

"I don't know if I..." Phelous suddenly understood. He didn't know how long Snob had been there, but it was apparently long enough for Snob to doubt his legs would hold him.

"I'll help you." Snob gave him a baffled look, but he allowed Phelous to help him to his feet. Even with Phelous taking most of his weight, Snob's body still trembled.

"This isn't going to work," he muttered.

"It'll work," Phelous said with confidence he didn't feel. He opened the door, and Snob cried out. "Are you alright!?"

"It's so _bright_ ," Snob said, screwing up his eyes and burying his face is Phelous' shoulder. Phelous gritted his teeth.

"Just... keep with me, alright?" he said. Snob nodded into his shoulder, and they began to move slowly down the hallway.

"Stop them!" Phelous turned to see two agents racing after them. One had his gun out, and the other was talking into his earpiece. Phelous angled himself so he was covering the kid, but he was honestly more worried about Walkie-Talkie. Bullets slowed even him down, and if there were enough people they could be recaptured while he was trying to recover.

When the agent was no more than four feet away, a shot rang out. It hit Phelous in the stomach. As he crashed into the wall for support, he lashed out blindly, landing a glancing blow on the agent's chin. Phelous tried to stand, but his head spun and he nearly blacked out. The bullet must have hit an artery.

"Stop!" Phelous forced his eyes open. Snob was glaring at the agent, voice exuding authority. The agent's sunglasses must have been knocked off in the scuffle, Phelous realized, and then he smiled. Game over.

Walkie-Talkie growled and unholstered his own gun. "Would you mind shooting him?" Snob said. The hypnotized agent shook his head and raised his pistol. The bulled hit Walkie-Talkie in the leg.

Phelous straightened up, wound almost healed already. "Are you alright?" he said. Snob nodded, slumping against Phelous, exhausted.

"Are you- did that-"

"I'm fine," Phelous said. "We'll be just fine."

* * *

"I'm sorry to call you in, Mrs. Snob."

"What's he done now?"

"We don't know."

"Why'd you fuckin' call me in then?"

"We believe something may be wrong with your son."

* * *

Phelous quickly realized that his usual standby- drift from shelter to shelter until you lost whoever was chasing you- was going to be a hell of a lot more difficult with simeone else to tow. For one, Snob was weak from the years in captivity. Not that Phelous blamed the kid, but it made disappearing more difficult when you couldn't run. For another, him traveling around with a kid who looked five years younger than him looked... odd.

Cinema Snob didn't seem to notice the suspicious looks, thank God. But Phelous could. They dug into his back even as he tried to ignore them, and the whispers that followed always seemed too loud. He know that, sooner or later, he would have to confront them, so Phelous began to construct in his head a lie that would fool even the most cynical of social workers.

That lie came to use a few moths later, against a formidable old woman who manned the front desk of the latest homeless shelter. Normally Phelous would have told Snob to just hypnotize her, but this particular old woman was wearing think, horn-rimmed glasses. There was no other way.

 "And why are you travelling together?" she said, suspicion in every syllable. Snob glanced at Phelous, panicked.

"He's my brother," Phelous said. The woman's eyes narrowed.

"Your brother?"

"Yes," Phelous said, hoping that Snob would just go along with it. "We- we ran away." Snob nodded, and the woman's eyes softened slightly.

"You do realize I'm going to have to report this to the authorities," she said.

"Don't!" Snob burst out. "P-Please, you can't! I- they'll-"

"Calm down," Phelous told him in what he hoped was a brotherly tone. "I won't let them take you back." He glared at the old woman, only to see that she seemed to have lost all semblance of severity.

"It isn't exactly above board," she said, "but I can offer you two a room here. So long as you," she pointed to Phelous, "try to get a job and you," she pointed to Cinema Snob, "go to school, I don't believe we will have a problem." Phelous could see the panicked look Snob shot him, but this was too good an opportunity to pass on. They would be able to _stay_  not having to worry over whether they'd have a place to sleep the next night, assured that they would have at least one meal.

"Thank you," Phelous said.

* * *

 

"But, Mom, I don't want to go-"

"Don't listen to him, ma'am. We believe that his powers could be highly dangerous."

"Mom!"

"Sedate him."

* * *

Phelous worked all the hours he could. Snob read and squinted and learned. It wasn't perfect, but it was... it was something. Phelous had never expected to enjoy being responsible for another human being. He had always valued his freedom too much. But with every exhausting yet satisfying day, with every adjustment of the reading glasses he had bought Snob with his first paycheck, Phelous felt himself becoming more attached to his new life.

Of course it couldn't last.

It was late evening when they came for them. There was a light knocking on the door of their room. "Come in," Phelous said distractedly. The door opened to reveal the old woman who had let them stay and two government men with sunglasses and guns. Phelous jumped to his feet, and Snob took off his glasses.

"What's going on here?" Phelous said.

"I believe you know exactly what's going on," one of the agents said. "You two are coming with us."

"Or, what, you'll shoot me?" Phelous said. "Good luck with that."

"No." One agent's gun leveled at Snob, and the other pressed to the old woman's head. "We'll shoot them." Phelous gritted his teeth. He could probably get between Snob and the bullet in time, but there was no way to save the old woman if they were serious. This caring thing was annoying.

"Put down the guns," Snob said suddenly. His voice was deep and rich, and Phelous found himself nodding even though he couldn't see his friend's face. The agents hesitated.

"Your tricks won't work," said one. "We have sunglasses." But he didn't sound certain.

"You don't want to shoot up," Snob said. "Think about it. What would you gain? If you shot me, you'd lose access to my ability. Doesn't it make more sense to put down the guns and take us quietly?" The agents glanced at each other.

"You know, he has a point," one said. The gun pointed at Snob wavered off toward the wall. Phelous surged forward, pushing Snob-s gunman back and punching the other in the face. As they fell backward he clawed at their faces, knocking aside the sunglasses.

"Go, Snob!" he said.

"Stop," said Snob, his powers at full force now. "It's nighttime now. Go to sleep." Phelous sighed as the agents collapsed, flexing his injured right hand as blood quickly clotted and skin knit back together. Snob put on his glasses and glanced uncertainly at the woman.

"What the fresh hell was that?" she said.

"I'm sorry about that," said Phelous. "As you can see, we're... um..."

"Why are there people from the CIA after you?" she said.

"Those guys were CIA?" said Snob, eyes wide and staring at the crumpled figures on the floor.

"Don't worry, we'll be out of here before they wake up," Phelous said. "Look, the only reason we're running is because... well, you saw what Snob did." She nodded. "He can hypnotize people. I have accelerated healing. The government wants to study us and lock us away."

"But you're just children!"

"It didn't stop them when I was seven, and it won't stop them now," Snob said quietly. "Phelous, we gotta go quick." Phelous nodded at him, then he glanced at the woman.

"If they come back, just tell them the truth. We knocked out the agents and then ran away."

"But where are you going?" she said.

"I don't know," said Phelous with a shrug. "Far away from here, I guess."

* * *

 

"How do your powers work?"

"I don't know!"

_Slap._

"How do your powers work?"

"I don't know! I don't know! Please!"

_Slap._

* * *

 

The months wore on. They never found anything close to the solution that the old woman had given them, and Phelous was too afraid to try and settle in one place for too long, They hadn't seen any sign of the shadowy agents that had found them there, but Phelous was sure they were out there, and he knew that he couldn't risk lowering his guard.

The most significant event that happened during this time, as they drifted from city to city, happened one freezing night in November.

The shelters had been full, so they had found an alleyway and prepared for a long, uncomfortable night. Phelous noted that Snob was already shivering. He may have been healthier than when they had escaped, but Snob was still small and far too thin. Phelous sighed.

"I'm fine," Snob said. Phelous raised an eyebrow. "Really."

"Oh, come here, you," Phelous said, shifting to allow Snob to rest against him. "I can't believe you're still trying to act tough. You're, what, twelve?"

"Sixteen," Snob said defensively. "I'm not just some kid." Phelous blinked.

"And here I thought that I was way older than you." Snob snuggled closer, and Phelous put his arms around him. "Still, I might as well be."

"What do you mean?" Phelous grinned.

"After all, I am about ten times smarter than you are."

"That's not fair!" said Snob with a small smile of his own. "You're still, like, a year older than me, plus you didn't grow up in a lab."

"Fair point," Phelous conceded. "But I still say that I am way more awesome." Snob sighed and ducked his head.

"Um, I never did thank you," he said. "You know, for saving me."

"You would have gotten out anyway," Phelous said. Snob gave him an annoyed look.

"I really wouldn't have," he said. "At first I was too dumb, and by the time you got there I was too weak. I didn't have a chance at... well, anything, but you- you saved me. And then you let me come with you, which was even better, because I know I'm useless but you put up with me anyway and..." Phelous impulsively dropped a gentle kiss in Snob's dark, matted hair. Snob gave a small gasp, and then he looked up at Phelous as though the older teen was the only person he had ever known affection from. Phelous instantly felt guilty, because, well, it was true, and despite his experiences Snob was still too naive, too willing to throw himself into something stupid without thinking. Phelous knew what love looked like. He'd seen that starry-eyed look fixed on him before, and he knew himself too well to trust himself to be a good partner... or to say no.

"Don't get the wrong idea," he grunted, trying to push Snob away.

"I don't think I have the wrong idea at all," Snob said, and damn it, Phelous wished that Snob wasn't right.

"You have it all wrong," Phelous said, but that didn't stop him from closing the distance as Snob reached up for an uncertain kiss.

* * *

"Look at me. Listen to me. Are you listening?"

"Yes."

"What is your name?"

"Phelous."

* * *

It was years after that fateful night that Phelous and Snob managed to find another place to stay for anything like forever. And, as usual, fate found them in the strangest of ways: through a months-old newspaper ad.

They would have missed it had Snob not actually enjoyed the funnies page that most grew out of around third grade. On the back of the funnies had been a page of classifieds, which Phelous had begun to read out of sheer boredom. And there- right between "Wanted: babysitter" and "Will give free, private pole-dancing lessons"- was the advertisement for the place that would become their home.

"Become a member of the NC-Men," Phelous muttered to himself.

"What are you talking about?" Snob said.

"It might be a trap," Phelous said slowly, "and this guy's definitely an asshole, but with any luck... I think we might have a place, Snob." He hesitated. "It could be a trap, though." Snob rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," he said, "we've tackled the _real_ CIA, thank you very much. Besides, I think we're about due for a lucky break." 

 


End file.
